


all true lovers are

by addictedtoacertainlifestyle



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Dreams, F/M, First Meetings, Romance, but the Force is Magic, slight Dark Rey, some Ben and Leia bonding because there's not enough of it, technically just medieval/historical Star Wars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 20:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17107409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addictedtoacertainlifestyle/pseuds/addictedtoacertainlifestyle
Summary: She might seem lonely, but Ben can sense that this forest is her faithful audience, and she is nothing but alone. The birds chirp a symphony to her, and the greenery around her bows, grateful to be blessed by her beauty.She truly is beautiful, but that’s not the entire reason he is so drawn to her.It’s her Magic.





	all true lovers are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [asimbelmyne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/asimbelmyne/gifts).



> happy new year to the very talented writer i had the honour of writing this piece for! this was a bit tricky to write, i won’t lie, but it was also refreshing and a positive challenge that i really liked wrestling with. i incorporated the first prompt, Fairytale/Historical AU, with some elements of my own. i tried to change things up a little, write something i haven’t personally read before. 
> 
> it's time to start the year with some giving, and i couldn’t be happier to gift this fic to you, asimbelmyne! your reylo fic, Palemote, is actually one of my favourite fics – it’s such a gorgeous piece of literature! 
> 
> i hope you enjoy this fic, a small labour of love (´∀｀)♡

_If ever thou shalt love,_

_In the sweet pangs of it remember me;_

_For such as I am, all true lovers are,_

_Unstaid and skittish in all motions else_

_Save in the constant image of the creature_

_That is beloved._

\- Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 4

\--

  The wind has changed.

  Ben can sense it right away, in the first few moments when the gates of the village creak shut behind him and he breaks his horse into a gallop. Around him, the nature holds its breath, the Light still asleep as the sun hasn’t risen quite yet. He feels the darkness pulling itself in, slowly retiring for the day, making way for the Light. Towards the shadowed nooks and crannies in the deepest parts of the woods, tucking away beneath the undergrowth, blending into the water, beneath the surface; away from observation.

  He knows the Dark, the way it moves, always wary and afraid. Only during the night can it be free and alive, and when the morning comes it shies away, ashamed. The same feeling resides in him so very often, the need to run and hide, lest his thoughts become exposed.

  The air rushes past him in sprints as Silencer’s hooves beat the ground beneath, making their way through the woods. Under Ben’s thighs resides a powerful machine of a being, much like him; dark pelt and sharp eyes, a kindred soul, always attuned to the way her master moves. Ben can feel her juvenile muscles straining with each heavy gallop, her breath coming in pants even though the exhaustion is not there yet. She is merely testing her own limits, her own strength and how far she can take it, motions simple but strong; the ride is as much of a needed release for her as it is for him.

  It’s been raining ever since the new moon, and the marks of a heavy rainfall from the night before are visible in the nature as he ventures into the woods. He slows Silencer down to a trot, and she takes to it gladly, attuning herself to the scenery around her as they both catch their breath.

  Heavy droplets of water hang from the sharp ends of the pines, begging to be let go and fall to the rain-darkened grass. The scent of the earth after rain lingers everywhere, and the luscious flora of the summer might have faded, but the prospect of the greenery is still there, reminding Ben of those bright sunny days not very long ago – only a few weeks before. The trees seem to make way for him as the pair goes on, deeper into the woods where Magic resides.

  He listens the nature shift and move around him, closes his eyes and reaches out the way he has been taught, but even in the upcoming morning the Light does not come to him. Ben _can_ hear it, the gentle wind and the tentative chatter of the earliest birds, can sense the sun that’s slowly beginning to appear somewhere in the horizon, but truly _feeling_ it – that he cannot do. It is as if he’s been sealed underground, inches of dark thick dirt between him and the Light, and the only thing he is aware of is the repeating thud of it as it dances on the ground. He cannot see it or feel it, there’s only the heavy, dull stomp of it somewhere above him, out of his reach, mocking him.

  He’s in the Dark, sealed away from things he’s supposed to feel. The walls are closing in, his breathing becomes faster and his chest tightens; he’s caged in, ashamed, meant to be hidden, forever–

  Then he feels a strange tug in his conscious, and everything eases. He opens his eyes and takes a deep breath, searching out where that tug originated from.

  It’s not Light, or anything from the nature, since it was strong enough to pull him out of his head. Its pulsing form tells a tale of another kind of Magic, something completely new but still somehow familiar. Familiar enough for him to feel it, and with it comes the sudden urge to _follow_. Something primal, an instinct he cannot refuse; it makes his fingertips itch.

  Ben dismounts Silencer and ties her to the nearest tree with a pat of his hand on her muzzle, knowing she will stay still until he returns. He takes off to the direction the tug is pulling him in, towards the cedars and pines, straight into the maw of the Dark. With every step the silent sound increases, the odd vibration thickens, rivalling the agitated beat of his heart as he walks further and further.

  In the heart of the forest is where he sees _her_.

  He is passing by a small clearing that’s barely even noticeable, only a flash in the corner of his eye, until everything around him falls silent; then, he hears the bells of a wind chime. Ben turns towards the clearing to look – and there she is. In the hazy fog of the morning he’s still able see her clearly; right in the middle of the clearing, everything else around her fading into background.

  Even from a distance Ben can see enough for his heart to speed up again, this time for a completely different reason than just a moment before. She carries herself so gently, even when she’s just standing there; a petite statue with a luxurious gown flowing around her, floating above the ground even without any wind. The fabric is a sea of sandy beiges flecked with gold and grey, something belonging to a royalty. Her hair looks weightless, too; long, hickory-brown locks slowly drifting in the invisible breeze. The profile of her face is visible to him, and his eyes follow the graceful slope of her nose and the curve of her chin that is raised in confidence. On top of her head she carries a diadem, golden leaves reflecting the dim light.

  She might seem lonely, but Ben can sense that this forest is her faithful audience, and she is nothing but alone. The birds chirp a symphony to her, and the greenery around her bows, grateful to be blessed by her beauty.

  She truly _is_ beautiful, but that’s not entirely the reason he is so drawn to her.

  It’s her Magic.

  He can sense it without concentrating on it; a shadowed aura of Magic surrounds her form, and he knows immediately that it isn’t Light. It is far too powerful, albeit restrained. Light is flimsy, always shunned down to prevent it from spreading, being only a tenuous scrap of what Magic can truly be. This – while still tightly wound together by her – is so much more than that.

  Magic, more often than not, controls the people it dwells in. Whether it is Light or Dark, it’s the Magic itself that has the grasp on the people that practice it. You can hope to harness it, use it to your assistance and study it, but gaining full control over it is nearly impossible to achieve. Especially Dark; its strength is something many have tried to dominate in the past, to shape and form it to their own merits, hardly ever succeeding.

  This woman, though, is different.  Ben can see immediately that _she_ controls the Magic. The ebb and flow of it around her is something he has never sensed before; it’s powerful, like thunder crackling in her fingertips. But it’s obedient, silent until needed. Perfectly still, but ready to strike at her command.

  It’s utterly phenomenal, and he is already besotted.

  Before he gets the courage to move, the woman turns away; with long, elegant steps she saunters out of the clearing and is soon gone, as if she’d never been there.

  Ben stays there for a long time after, lost in the memory of her and her Magic.

\--

  The minutes of going back to the village are restless, since the sight of the mysterious woman refuses to disappear from Ben’s mind, even if he tries his hardest to focus on the Light around him. Of course, every action is done in vain: his curiosity has finally been awakened after a long hibernation, the Dark in him growing even stronger now. It is a heady feeling, trying to take over him, to match her power, and he struggles pushing it down once he’s back at the gates of the village. Silencer can sense his uneasiness from the way Ben’s thighs squeeze her sides a bit tighter than usual, but she remains calm.

  Who was she? No-one from the nearby villages, he’s sure, because they don’t practice Dark; nobody does. Only the cunning beings of the forest – or fairies, as they’re usually called. But she looked more like a sun goddess than a pitiful fairy. A princess or a queen: definitely royalty. He’s sure he would’ve recognized her if she was anyone of high position. But who else could she be?

  His speculations lead to no results, leaving him puzzled. If anyone notices his apprehensive mood as he arrives to the village, they don’t say anything about it. Ben is grateful for that; these people have a tendency of poking their noses into what isn’t any of their business.

  Ben manages to slip inside his parents’ manor without anyone noticing, making his way through the corridors and refusing to breathe until he’s in his room and has closed the door behind him, safe and sound. He changes from the simple, slightly battered riding outfit into a slate-grey tunic with a matching cape, storing away the first attire, not daring to leave behind any visible traces of his little outing.

  Walking over to one of the windows that line his room, his eyes take in the view he’s seen plenty of times but will never get tired of. The valley stretches out before his very eyes, fields and forests spreading far and wide until they meet the grand mountain range that lines the valley. Most things in it are the same, always unwavering, but there’s a distinct change visible; the nature is transforming, summer bleeding into fall. In a handful of moons every little field and clearing will be covered with snow from the North.

  His musings are interrupted by a knock on the door, rhythmic and familiar. Ben knows immediately who the person is, but still exclaims:

  “Come in!”

  The door opens and Ben turns to look as his mother appears, usual sharp features in a gentle beginning of a smile. He returns the expression as some of his uneasiness slowly drips away. Ben cannot help it; Leia has the ability to soothe his mind just by her presence. He trusts her, to the Light she carries, subdued and dormant but still there nevertheless. She’s only one with Light that he feels like he can understand.

  “Good morning, mother.”

  “Good morning, son. How are you?”

  Always so polite, even when it’s just the two of them; some manners just cannot be changed. There’s genuine interest in her voice, though, different from the way whenever she speaks to a servant or a villager.

  “I’m fine, thank you for asking,” he responds, but doesn’t move away from the window just yet.

  Leia walks over next to Ben with graceful steps in her simple but striking royal blue dress; no matter the occasion, she’s preferred to keep her appearance immaculate and eloquent as long as he can remember. She reaches over to his vanity that’s on their right side close to the window, and pulls out a brush from one of its compartments. 

  “That’s good to hear. Now, sit down and let me braid your hair.”

  He chuckles at the demand but does it anyways, sitting down to the cushioned seat in front of the vanity, meeting his own eyes in the mirror. Growing out his hair was something he never exactly planned to do; rather, he just didn’t pay much attention to it, thoughts in other things, and now it reaches way past his shoulders.  Most of the time, he merely gathers the hair out of his way with a fast, messy bun, but Leia favors it braided, honoring the decades-old traditions of her family. He doesn’t mind it; if nothing else, it’s a calm, quiet moment between the two of them, something they’ve had for years now. It’s a steady, reassuring constant.

  For a moment they remain silent as Leia gently pulls his hair out of the bun and begins to brush it, smoothing away the small knots that formed during the night with slow, careful hands. She’s always been gentle with him, in more ways than one. He can’t deny that it feels good, to be touched in a soothing manner, even if it’s something as mundane as this. It makes him feel relaxed, safe with her. Like he could tell her anything.

  The silence begs to be filled, and he has just the right words, ones that have been itching to be said from the minute Leia stepped into the room.

  “Mother, do you know any families who practice Dark Magic?” he asks, trying to sound casual. Keeping the endless curiosity away from his voice.

  “I’m afraid my knowledge of such things is limited,” she responds, frowning but not taking her eyes away from his hair. She divides it in four parts before starting to place them on top of one another in a pattern. “Why are you asking, dear?”

  “It’s nothing important. Just something I read from a book.”

  She hums in response, even though Ben is sure she can sense it’s not even close to the truth. “Where were you this morning? I heard that the gatekeeper saw you leave the village.”

  “Yes, I was– I went for a ride with Silencer,” he says and feels like a young boy again; defying the rules, avoiding consequences. Not much has changed, even if the years have passed.

  “I see. Don’t overwork her, alright? She’s still rather young.”

  “Alright, mother. I promise.”

  At that, Leia smiles and looks up to meet Ben’s eyes in the mirror, clearly pleased with his response. The conversation is over for now, left on a content note, even if Ben did not get the answers he was hoping for.

  _Or maybe_ , he thinks while watching his mother from the mirror as she works, _some things are better left unanswered_. There’s secrecy to the woman he saw, something he can’t figure out right away. Usually this would disappoint and anger him, but now he feels as if he could actually enjoy the thrill of it, the mystery of not knowing.

  Later that night, Ben dreams.

  He’s in the clearing again, but this time the fog has lifted and a peculiar kind of sunlight warms the area; muddy and grey, still somehow warm. It pulls him in. Ben finds himself in the middle, where a small circle of rocks surrounds him, keeping him in place. But even if he could move, he wouldn’t want to.

  The woman appears in between the trees, sun shining down upon her. She makes her way to him, and before he can blink, he meets her hazel eyes, kaleidoscopes of green and brown. She is much shorter than him, but somehow, she is above him – he’s kneeling in front of her, he quickly realizes. A hand brushes his temple, gently twirling into his hair that moves in the unseen breeze. The sun is bright now, and it’s all he can see, every ray of light warming him.

  When her lips touch his, a storm breaks around them, frigid wind and vicious thunder. But in her arms he is safe, her kiss a shelter from the raging tempest.

  Ben opens his eyes as the images vanish. Cold shivers wreck his body, wave after wave and he has to curl on his side to make them stop. Staring into the darkness, he tries to catch his breath and slow down his heart, beating fast from the wild fantasy his mind decided to show him; a primitive rush of desire and want sparks inside him, yearning after someone he doesn’t know and could never have. 

  He doesn’t fall asleep again until the sun peeks over the horizon, first moments of morning at hand.

\--

  Things change a moon after Ben saw the woman for the first time.

  He’s managed to catch a glimpse of her more than once after that, coming to the clearing in the mornings whenever he’s been able to, in the hopes of another grand spectacle. There has been none of those, but many softer moments. He’s found her for short, passing instances, sitting right in the middle surrounded by the rocks, cross-legged and hands behind her, supporting her as she basked in the early-fall sun. Calm, unperturbed.

  He never dared to intervene or interrupt her in the fear of her disappearing into the breeze.

  Today, the air feels electric, in the same way it had felt in the dream he had. A thunderstorm is on its way into the valley as Ben seeks out the clearing once again, unable to quench his thirst for the woman. Every time he says himself that it’s the last, that he only needs to see her once more – but he keeps coming back. Like an animal, he follows the instinct of his subconscious that begs him to return day after day, not daring to fight back or question it.

  He’s become bolder, too, leaning closer each time, making less effort to stay hidden. It feels as if she’s in another world, and he’s watching her through clear glass, unable to touch – it’s made him reckless, given him the illusion of being hidden. She seems closed off but still so aware of everything around her; a being of contradictions, she is.

  So, it’s no wonder when she finally notices him.

  Ben watches her from afar as usual, feels her Magic flow in the space around them, slowly shifting. It brightens, becomes sharper, focusing on one focal point until he realizes that it’s _him_ she’s concentrating on.

  He doesn’t get the chance to hide or disguise himself as she speaks:

  “Come forth, stranger! I know you’re there.”

  Her voice is clear but low, distinct. It should fill him with fear for being caught, but as she turns to look at him – her doe eyes peering him even from a distance – he finds himself unable to be anything else but enchanted. He obeys her orders and takes his first steps into the clearing, walking closer to the woman. She’s even more beautiful up close, and it’s nearly blinding, her radiance.

  “I’ve seen you watching me.”

  “You– you have?” he stammers, astonished, mind still not quite comprehending the situation.

  “You’re not exactly something I’d call unnoticeable,” she says with a coy smile, giggles when she sees his averting eyes and blushed ears.  “Oh, don’t look so mortified. I like knowing I have your full attention.”

  “But you don’t even know my name. Or I yours.”

  Her whole being perks up at his words, like she hadn’t been expecting them. But the surprise seems to be a welcomed one, since her smile remains just as sunny, even as the thunder rumbles in the distance. “My name? Would you want to know it?”

  “Yes. Yes, I would.”

  “Well, how about we make a deal? Your name for mine?”

  “Alright. My name is Ben. Ben Solo.”

  “Ben Solo,” she tries, drags it out a little, as if testing the taste of it.  “Ah, what a lovely name. Rather plain, but it matches mine. I’m Rey.”

  Rey. Possibly the most beautiful name he has ever heard. Such a simple syllable, nothing like the woman who carries the name, but Ben decides it is more than fitting for her. In her name she hides the fearsome prowess of thousands. Rey, like that of the sun’s; even if she’s a child of the shadows, her name speaks of higher power, of a divine being.

  Soon Ben realizes he’s been staring at her silently for far too long that it could be considered appropriate. He clears his throat and looks her in the eyes. They are not hazel like he suspected; they shine gold even in the dark.

  “It’s lovely to finally get to know you, Rey.”

  Her smile doesn’t falter. “Likewise, Ben Solo.”

\--

  Now that he knows her name, Ben is not so afraid to approach Rey anymore. Whenever he can slip out of the village without much hassle, he makes his way to the clearing with hardly any hesitation, and waits her to reveal herself. Oftentimes, Ben finds her already there, waiting for him when he arrives, and his treacherous heart always jumps in excitement, dismissing his logical thought. She doesn’t have to be there, wasting her time and wait for him, but she almost always is. It has to mean something, right?

  Their meetings are spent by talking, which Rey always initiates. Usually their conversations are about something she saw that day in the woods, or an old story she says she heard moons ago, maybe even a tale from Ben’s childhood, if he feels like talking. She reveals very little of herself, really, but it doesn’t bother Ben; she could list all the flora and fauna of this forest and he’d be enthralled, fixated on her and to the sweet, husky lilt of her voice.

  But nothing beautiful lasts forever.

  With the passing of days, the winter approaches, something Rey seems to be wary of. Ben doesn’t know why she doesn’t like it, not exactly, but the way her Magic trembles whenever she sees the leaves turn just a touch more golden, when the sun takes more and more time to get up in the mornings; it tells him the change of season is not something she’s eager to witness.

  Something is going to happen, he can sense it.

  While his Magic thrives in her presence, hers begins to wither. He is far too taken by her to not let that affect him.

  ”There’s something that’s clearly troubling you,” he finally gathers the courage to say one morning. Today, the clouds are grey and dreary, looming in the horizon, promising rain later on. She doesn’t seem to like the idea; restlessness emits from her. ”What is it?”

  ”Oh, you know me,” she laughs, the usual melody strained. ”I can’t stay still for too long. This place is already growing old to me.”

   There’s a prolonged silence as Ben tries to see behind those words, always so mysterious, seeming to mean something else entirely. He tries to attune his Dark to match hers, to reach beyond what she shows and dig deep to the well of her thoughts. But such an intrusion is hard to execute, and her Magic gives no answers; instead, it shifts, dissipates from its usual form, clearly noticing him and focusing on his Magic. Ben feels the tug in his mind again, like all those days before, but this time it’s determined, carrying an intention. It’s looking for answers.

  “You don’t seem to be faring too well either. Are you…”

  She trails off, frown forming on her face as she looks at him, scouting through the tendrils of his Magic, searching for a way in. A gap in his conscious that she can slither through, and then, new confidence bursts within her as she seems to find what she’d been looking for. Her wariness just from a moment before is reduced to a small, insignificant embers, while her pride and excitement grow in size.

 ”I see. You’re afraid.”

  She doesn’t sound too surprised, like she suspected it already, and now her claims have been proven true. Ben won’t lie to her, or to himself – he _is_ afraid, of the uncertain future that he can’t determine, only catching snippets of it, and of the decades-long feeling of being out of place. It’s not uncommon for him, but it still stings nevertheless, to try and persevere to belong, and failing each time. Somehow, in a way he doesn’t quite understand, Rey can sense it, and that too, he’s afraid of. The sudden shift in her.

  ”I could teach you, Ben, if you so wished. Show you the ways of my Magic. It’s what you want, isn’t it?” she purrs, skulking a few steps towards him like a hunting predator. Her slow movements should give him a chance to pull away, but he doesn’t. “Your inner strength seems to be something your people forgot and set aside. They want you to be Light, but it is not the Magic you’re meant for.”

  With every word his chest tightens further, and a sense of dread overtakes him.

  ”How can you know that?”

  ”I see it in your eyes. I can sense your conflict,” she whispers, almost forlorn.

  She is only a breath away from him now, and her face is speckled with faint light, filtering through the trees. Her features turn soft, empathetic, and her golden eyes glint with something he could mistakenly see as tears. Like she truly understands the pressure on his heart, the persistent strain and knows the ways to soothe his ache, to remedy the pain he has so long suffered from. Her left hand comes up to graze his braid, delicate fingertips following each ink-black strand until she reaches the planes of his chest. She lets her palm press flat against his tunic, right above his heart that is trying its hardest to break free from the confines of his rib cage and fall to her waiting hands.

  “You don’t have to be afraid what you feel, Ben. I feel it, too. _All of it_.”

  It would be so easy, to kiss her now. Ben wonders how she would taste, those rose-petal lips that are only an inkling away from his; would they be gentle, demanding, or perhaps teasing, the same way her words have been? Did his psychedelic dream become even close depicting the true grace of her touch, or will it be something more, something grander? If he moved, just for the slightest touch, he would find out.

  But the moment breaks like ice, her hand leaves its place on his chest and drops back to her side. Even as she takes a step back, her gentle gaze remains, but something sharp lurks beneath it.

  ”You have time to consider my proposition until the next half-moon, before the first snow. If you don’t want me to teach you, that’s quite alright. I just need to take my endeavors elsewhere.”

  _Elsewhere?_ Does that mean she’s going to leave? Where is she going to go? An abundance of questions burst up inside him, but none of them feel right to be asked. But he has to say something, just to keep her from leaving.

  “Rey, I–“

  She is already turning her back on him. It feels hauntingly final.

  “You don’t need to give an answer now, Ben. But when the time comes, I hope you’ve made the right decision,” she says, voice is still soft, but coldness coats its edges. First proper frost; sudden and sharp.

  Ben watches her walk away, body frozen in place. Rey slowly disappears between the trees, her gown flowing behind her, teasing him. Her Magic lingers, a vivid reminder of what he’s going to miss if he decides to decline her offer. His senses pedantic, already well-attuned to her Magic, start to feel the loss of her presence as the last fragments of it fade away.

  Then he’s alone, the forest the only thing that surrounds him, caging him in once more, and all he feels is cold creeping into his bones.

\--

  Ben observes the days go by, his mind and heart tangled up in such a way that he doesn’t really comprehend the passage of time. He doesn’t dare to return to the clearing, and has been spending the days alone, isolated in his room. Leia has noticed the change in his mood, and has come around more often than usual, trying to lift his spirits and keep him company. Outright asking she hasn’t done, but Ben fears it’s going to happen soon – and he’s not sure if he could lie to her about this.

  He knows what he wants to do, but he doesn’t know if he has the strength to do it. To leave behind his old life, his mother without a word is the most painful thought of them all. However, some selfish part of him wants to believe that Leia would want him to do what he truly desires.

  Behind Rey and her words hides someone he doesn’t fully know yet, but he's not afraid of her, not anymore. Truth be told, he'd never been afraid or her, only his own emotions, and how easily she could feel them. She has awakened an endless curiosity in him, to grow and reach beyond what he’s been taught before. He is more than willing to join her, wherever that may be. There’s a whole new feeling of kinship he has with her – the beginning of a bond build on Dark, stronger than anything he has felt before. He trusts her, wants her to teach him her ways, and knows she wouldn’t betray or hurt him. It’s only a matter of courage, taking the wild leap into the unknown; a matter of heart. And he’s always been chastised for following his heart.

  But after years of being ashamed of the Dark, he’s finally ready to embrace it. The burden of being chained down, restricted to be what others expect him to be, not what he truly is, is a heavy one, and he’s done carrying it.

  When the half-moon arrives, he’s made his decision.

\--

  Even before the dawn breaks, Ben leaves the village behind without a word, dressed in his best attire but without any worldly possessions. In the air lingers the first pieces of winter, wind cold and unforgiving. Breath misting in the dark-blue light of daybreak that’s still yet to come, Ben faces the gates of the village. He concentrates to the wind around him, lets it guide his Magic to the gate and slither in between the mechanism that keeps it closed.

  A small, quiet click is all it needs to open, and an equally quiet closing as he slips outside, to the burning cold morning. The trek to the clearing is a long and heavy one when walking, Ben learned that quickly in the beginning. But now his legs carry him faster than ever, and every step feels like a leap.

Rey is in their clearing already, just like all those times before. When their eyes meet, her whole being lights up in a way he hasn’t seen before; the shine of her cannot be rivalled, brilliant and absolutely breathtaking. It’s worth everything already, just to behold that sight. She looks every bit of a noble queen, with the shining diadem and pristine gown, just as gorgeous as the first time he set his eyes on her.

  ”Rey…” he starts, unknown words sticky in his throat. Now that he’s here everything feels insignificant, all things paling in comparison to her.

  “ _Ben_. I’m so glad to see you,” she breathes, and he believes her.

  He doesn’t have to say a word in return; they both know what this meeting means, and there’s no need for false courtesy. There has never been. The raw, genuine emotion that cannot be feigned tells them enough. Ben descends to one knee in front of Rey as she walks closer, the nature fallen silent in anticipation. Ben closes his eyes and listens. The whole universe is in a stand-still for this fleeting moment, the final second before sunrise; for now, the world is theirs.

  ”When we met, you gave me your name. Ever since it has been mine to keep, a reminder of you. And now, you’ll give me your soul and shed off your old life, in exchange for my teaching and my affection. Do you accept my proposal?”

  Nothing has ever felt this easy than uttering these two words. “I do.”

  She towers above him, ghosting her lips on his forehead while her hand runs down his cape-covered shoulder to his arm – a blessing from an ethereal being. The wind rises, taking his Light with it as he feels the Dark settle into him, intertwining with hers. It is warm, more soothing than he ever thought it could be. There’s nothing cruel or evil in it, even as the Light leaves him; only peace is found in this moment. Completion, serenity.

  “My name is not Rey, for that is my mortal name, just like yours is Ben. I am Kira Ren, and I ask you to leave behind your Light and join me in the Dark… _Kylo Ren_.”

  The forest around him hums in finality, acceptance; he opens his golden eyes to meet her own, bursting with starlight.

  Kira holds out her hand to him, and Kylo takes it.


End file.
